Books

Join us for Ron Suskind's discussion of his new book, The Way of the World: A Story of Truth and Hope in the Age of Extremism.

Before I read Betty Fussell's "Raising Steaks: The Life and Times of American Beef," I thought I knew enough about America's quintessential meal. After all, I wolfed down quite a few myself. And I'd read "The Omnivore's Dilemma" and "Fast Food Nation." And there was some additional experience in 4-H. At 12 I wrestled 200-pound calves at the county fair's Calf Scramble. The next year I was back at the fair with a 1,200-pound steer I'd trained to walk on a leash and tolerate having his… more

Referring to the war on Iraq, Chomsky quotes political analyst Anatol Lieven: that most Americans had been “duped… by a propaganda programme which for systematic mendacity has few parallels in peacetime democracies.” LINK

An old adage about America's first helmsmen is that "Washington reigned, Hamilton ruled, and Jefferson complained." The contemporary version might say that "Bush reigned, Cheney ruled, and Congress, the nation, and the world complained."

Richard Cheney has sculpted the vice presidency in a way never seen before. He revolutionized an office that has turned many of its occupants into obscure eccentrics--one that Benjamin Franklin referred to as "Your Superfluous Excellency." Cheney refused to do state funerals. Instead, he rerouted the in- and outboxes of power in the… more

Come hear more about the book that Studs Terkel calls "revelatory and stunning"; that Anthony Lewis praises for providing "a dramatic glimpse of a dark American past"; that Publishers Weekly says "artfully weaves the personal and the political" in a way that "readers will find engaging on more than one level." Rick Wartzman, Irvine senior fellow at the New America Foundation, will lecture on his new book, "Obscene in the Extreme: The Burning and Banning of John… more

As the myth of the free market is overcome by current events, James K. Galbraith's new book explains both its rise and fall. His description of the dynamic and troublesome interaction between the public and private sectors is timely, instructive, and ultimately devastating. The rise of a free market ideology blurred both the distinction between these sectors and the growth of government. It did so in ways that not only contributed to greater wealth and income inequality, but also directly… more

There is renewed interest in the power and role of faith in America. We see candidates talking about it in campaigns. But how does it influence how public servants in the trenches think about their work?

For the past several years, John Calhoun has been on a cross-country quest to discover how faith motivates some of America's hardest-working public servants. The result? He selected 24 amazing people who pursue a range of innovative and ambitious plans to help their communities. Their accomplishments are impressive, deeply moving, and… more

An interview with Eric Liu, co-author with Nick Hanauer of The True Patriot, which was published by Sasquatch in January 2008.

Publishers Weekly: How would you describe The True Patriot?

Eric Liu: The book is an argument that we’ve got to reclaim patriotism in more progressive terms. It’s written in the style of a Thomas Paine pamphlet, and is meant to provoke debate about the ways in which over the last four decades patriotism as an idea has been hijacked by the… more

In America and the World: Conversations on the Future of American Foreign Policy, two of the most respected figures in American foreign policy, Zbigniew Brzezinski and Brent Scowcroft -- each national security advisors under markedly different administrations, dissect, in lively and unscripted conversation moderated by Washington Post columnist David Ignatius, the most significant foreign policy challenges facing the U.S.

Join the New America Foundation/American Strategy Program for a wine reception for a celebration of a New America Foundation/Basic Books… more

Steve Coll discusses his new book The Bin Ladens: An Arabian Family in the American Century, in which he details the complicated family history of Osama bin Laden, one of 54 children born to Mohammed bin Laden. LINK to video, audio, and transcript.